The Gaiser's Are Moving!!!!!

We were approached with an amazing opportunity & snatched it up as quickly as we could! This has been a topic of discussion for several months but has recently taken off. Brian & I are purchasing my parents' house & we couldn't be more excited!! When we purchased our current home we really wanted to stay on the West side but couldn't afford what we were looking for so we moved to the Northeast side of town. We love living here, the neighbors, & the easy commute to either side of town but we've always had a special place in our hearts for the West side. When this opportunity presented itself we thought about it long & hard. There's a lot to think about when you're looking at taking on a much larger home with 5 acres to care for. After much discussion & prayer, we made our big decision & put our house up for sale. We decided to go with the For Sale By Owner option through House Hunters Realty & it worked fabulously. 

We sold our home in 2 months!!!!!

 

With us on a deadline to be out of our current home, my parents moved out this past weekend. So Brian has now kicked it into high gear to make the changes to our new home before we move in (we only have 17 days until our scheduled move date). Here's our to-do list before we move in:

Paint Logan's room

Paint our room

New floor in our room

Paint the main level walls (living room, kitchen, bathroom, hallways)

Replace carpet in basement

With a short time frame to get everything done & ready to move, we are very busy these days. Brian is taking charge of the home projects while I'm working on packing up our current home. (This is more difficult than I thought with a teething 16 month old who is constantly attached to my leg!) I'm trying to capture as many photos of this experience as I can but left my camera at the new house so my 'before' pictures will have to wait for another post. 

The Ultimate Target Trip

I love a good bargain! I love knowing that I'm able to get things we need at a great price. For most people that I know, money is a touchy area & everyone seems to look for ways to stretch a buck (as do I). I was stoked when I saw the Sunday ad two weeks ago for Target. They had an awesome deal on diapers & baby food. Luckily, I was in need of both so the timing couldn't have came at a better time. Since we have an upcoming move quickly approaching, I decided to get 3 boxes of diapers & 1 box of Pull Ups to last until after the move. When I arrived at Target, they already sold out of the Pull Up size I needed. Therefore, I adjusted my plan & purchased 4 boxes of diapers instead. This is what I walked away with:

2- large boxes of Pampers

2- large boxes of Luvs

2- Gerber Puffs

2- Gerber Graduate meals

4- Gerber Graduate pouches

5- Ella's Kitchen pouches

Here's where the exciting part comes into play: If I would have paid full price for all of these items, I would've spent $122.61 + tax. I spent some time going through my Target & manufacturer coupons to get the best deal. The biggest saver was the Target coupon for $20 off of $100 spent on baby items. With that discount, my Target coupons, manufacturer coupons, & 5% off by using my Target debit Redcard, my grand total came to.......... $96.52 after tax!!!! The even better part of the deal is that I walked away with 2- $10 Target gift cards as well! That's like paying $76.52 for everything. Woohoo!!!!

A little bit of time & planning can save some serious bucks. This is how I happily contribute to our finances & because my $35 savings, we purchased some small items needed for our home renovation. I'm excited for my next savings adventure!

July Update

Outside my window . . . The sun is out there somewhere but it's rainy so she isn't out. It doesn't look promising for a pretty day. :(



I am thinking . . . this moving process has been really stressful on everyone & I look forward to the day that it's over. Now that we're working on projects in the new house, I can see an end in sight. Yippie!



I am thankful for . . . a husband who likes to help me with decorating rooms. I had the hardest time finding a comforter for Levi's room to match the theme I insist he has. After a lot of persistence & Brian's opinions, I finally found 'the one'. Too bad I have to wait until 7/21 for it to be delivered. :(



I am wearing . . . my pj's while I eat breakfast. My work clothes will be put on all too soon.


I am going . . . to take Logan to his first movie on Thursday. A local movie theater shows previously released movies for $1 all summer long so thought this would make a great Mommy & Logan date. I can't wait to see how he does!!


I am wondering . . . when we'll get a phone call in regards to closing on our home.



I am reading . . . 'Balancing It All' by Candace Cameron Bure.


I am hoping . . . get the bedroom flooring picked out & ordered this week. With us painting in the near future, we need to order the flooring so we don't get behind.


I am looking forward to . . . my lunch date on Friday with my BFF. We don't get these often enough.



I am hearing . . . Some thunder every once in a while.


Around the house . . . are empty walls, which make me sad. Packing makes the house look 'blah' but I know it's all for a good cause.



One of my favorite things . . . is watching Logan learn how to write letters. His concentration is adorable!

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . Work my normal schedule, meet with a mortgage lender, have a fun Mommy & Logan date, & get some more things done at the new house. I hope to make it to the Franklin Street Bazaar on Saturday...I've wanted to go since it's started but something has always come up.

June Update

Outside my window . . . The sun is setting. It's a bittersweet sight because my vacation is coming to an end. :(



I am thinking . . . this vacation was my all time favorite. It was the kids' first time to the beach & things went well. We had a few bumpy days with Levi's teething & not adjusting to the different environment but things got much better once that stubborn tooth popped through. I'll post about our vacation in a few days (if I can get the site to upload my pics).



I am thankful for . . . time with my family. With today being Father's Day, it quickly reminds me of how short our life really is. Brian's dad was taken from us at the early age of 58 & today is always a rough one. I truly cherish each day I'm able to spend with our family & friends.



I am wearing . . . jeans shorts & a union t-shirt.


I am going . . . to be swamped at work tomorrow after being off for 10 days.


I am wondering . . . if we'll get more calls/inquiries now that we've changed some things with our home ad???



I am reading . . . 'Balancing It All' by Candace Cameron Bure.


I am hoping . . . to start on our first project in our new home soon!


I am looking forward to . . . more family visiting at the end of the month. My uncle from North Dakota visits every 2 months since my grandpa has been in the nursing home. Now a couple cousins will make the trip in a couple weeks. It's always fun to spend time with them!



I am hearing . . . Brian watch a hunting show on TV.


Around the house . . . are small piles of things to go into each boy's room from our Florida trip. I've worked hard today to get the house back in order but a few things still linger.



One of my favorite things . . . reading blogs in the morning while I eat breakfast.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . I'm working an extra day this week to make up for being off last week. We'll also have dinner with my dad at some point since we couldn't get together today (he's running a fever). This Saturday, my niece, Lily, is getting baptized & I can't wait to see everyone together!!

May Update

Outside my window . . . The sun is starting to rise. What a beautiful sight to see!



I am thinking . . . this is the most peaceful time of the day. Kids & hubby are still sleeping, no tv, no music, & no text messages. The only thing I hear right now is the washing machine. I cherish moments like these (they sure don't last long enough!!)



I am thankful for . . . Brian's job. I know he works incredibly hard to provide for us. It was a big adjustment when I started working part time after having Logan but it has been well worth it. His job still provides us with what we need as well as some of the fun extras. I can't say enough how much I appreciate Brian for what he does for us.



I am wearing . . . my pj's:)


I am going . . . finish my grocery list in hopes of making it there today. We'll see....


I am wondering . . . how many people look at our house ad online??



I am reading . . . 'Balancing It All' by Candace Cameron Bure.


I am hoping . . . to get the last clothing items purchased for our Florida trip taken care of this week.


I am looking forward to . . . FLORIDA in only 19 days!!!!!!!!!! (Can you tell we haven't been in 5 years?!?!?!)



I am hearing . . . Nothing but the washing machine ;)


Around the house . . . are bags of clothes & shoes from our massive shopping trip yesterday. Brian & I got new gym shoes while the boys got new sandals. Everyone was able to get new summer clothes. I'm extra excited about the 2 dresses I bought. I'm not much of a dress person but I totally LOVE what I found.



One of my favorite things . . . is receiving extra snuggles in the morning from Levi when he first wakes up. I think that's the sweetest thing!

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . breakfast & visiting with our best friends this morning, finish our vacation shopping on Tuesday, & we're taking a day trip to the STL Zoo next Sunday. With Memorial Day weekend being this upcoming week, I'm sure we'll have some extra activities pop up too.

April Update

Outside my window . . . The sun is shining & it's suppose to be a beautiful day.



I am thinking . . . that we'll have an amazing weekend! We're taking the kids to our church's egg hunt this morning followed by a couple quick errands. I'm sure we'll spend the rest of the day outside since the weather is so awesome. Tomorrow morning we'll enjoy breakfast with Brian's dad's side of the family, our Easter service at church, & then spend the afternoon with my family.



I am thankful for . . . 2 healthy kids. Over the past month, I've seen some very sick, disabled kids & my heart breaks for them. But it also makes me realize how incredibly lucky we are & that what we're facing isn't anything compared to what those children deal with on a daily basis.



I am wearing . . . my pj's:)


I am going . . . to pick up the house a bit before everyone in the house wakes up. It's exhausting keeping our house spick-n-span in case someone wants to look at it.


I am wondering . . . when we'll receive our first call to show our house???



I am reading . . . Nothing at the moment. I packed all of my books for the move so I'm limited to what I have on my Kindle right now.


I am hoping . . . to still find Levi a pair of sandals. I just realized last night that it's the only piece missing to his Easter outfit. (Bad Mom moment)


I am looking forward to . . . Logan starting karate this week. I hope he's as excited about it as I am!!



I am hearing . . . Levi 'talk' to me while we're eating breakfast together. Little moments like this make me smile :)


Around the house . . . It is pretty darn clean, if I must say so myself. Last weekend, Brian & I busted our rears to get our house in great condition to sell. Needless to say...our house was a LOT dirtier than I thought. Thankfully, my grandma stopped by to help & we got everything scrubbed in about 6 hours.



One of my favorite things . . . seeing how much Logan loves his Daddy. It melts my heart to see those 2 interact. When Daddy is home, that's all that matters to him.

A few plans for the rest of the week . . . Easter activities today & tomorrow. The beginning of the week will be pretty laid back & normal with the exception of a couple doctor appointments. Next weekend we're having a HUGE yard sale at my grandpa's house so we'll be busy at the end of the week setting up for that. It's so big, we're having it in one of the pole barns!!!

Thursday Thoughts